Imaging observations of the extended sodium atmosphere of the moon

Details Imaging observations of the extended sodium atmosphere of the moon Imaging observations of the extended sodium atmosphere of the moon

Nov 1991

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991georl..18.2097m&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters (ISSN 0094-8276), vol. 18, Nov. 1991, p. 2097-2100. Research supported by NASA and Boston Universit

Physics

42

Abundance, D Lines, Exosphere, Lunar Atmosphere, Sodium, Coma, Diurnal Variations, Emission Spectra, Lunar Environment, Lunar Photography, Potassium

Scientific paper

Pilot ground-based optical imaging observations of the extended lunar environment were conducted at McDonald Observatory in February 1991. One set of images taken on February 20 revealed emission at the combined D1 (5896 A) and D2 (5890 A) lines of neutral sodium extending out to about 5 lunar radii from the center of the moon on the sunward side and much fainter emission extending out to about 15-20 lunar radii on the antisunward side. Peak emission (D1 + D2) above the moon's limb at a distance of 1.8 lunar radii along the lunisolar axis was measured to be 900 Rayleighs, decreasing with distance as r exp -4. The morphology of the emitting region is qualitatively that of a comet, i.e., a bright coma centered on the moon and an extended tail trailing away in the antisunward direction.

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